Fall line: The most direct route down the hill, often involuntarily taken by falling skiers.

FIS: French acronym for the International Ski Federation.

Fixed grip lift: A surface chairlift that pulls skiers by cable to various levels of the mountain.

Flat light: Condition occurring when haze decreases depth visibility.

Flea market: Result of a wipe-out when clothing and gear separate from the skier (a.k.a. a tag or garage sale).

Frostbite: A serious condition that takes place in extremely cold conditions, when part of your body freezes. This usually happens to the face or other unprotected areas.

Frozen granular: Snow that is old and that has frozen together. The difference between it and ice is this: ice chips away and frozen granular will dent and keep its shape. Eventually, frozen granular will turn to ice.

G

Glade skiing: Skiing between trees.

Goggles: Protective eye wear used to gurd against ultraviolet rays, wind, and powder.

Gondola: Small suspended cars that carry four to ten skiers at a time up the mountain.

Graduated length method: The use of progressively longer skis as skill improves.

Grooming: Snow removal, packing, and preparation of the runs for skiing.

H

Heli-skiing: Skiing in areas only accessible by helicopter. This is primarily for advanced skiers as it is potentially dangerous.

High season: Usually from February to early March. During this time, lift tickets and lodging are more expensive.

High-speed detachable quad: Lifts sometimes called superchairs because of their velocity. During loading and unloading, the chair actually detaches from the cable and moves slowly.

Holiday season: Usually between mid-December and mid-January; prices are high as a result of school vacations and the holidays.

Hot dog: A person who takes jumps off small cliffs and performs tricks on skis.

K-L

Kick turn: An easier option for beginners turning on steep slopes. Ask an instructor to demonstrate.

Lateral bullet: A skier who is skiing out of control across the slopes.

Low season: usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lodging and lift rates are available at lower prices.

M-N

Moguls: Mounds of snow created by skiers; also called bumps.

NASTAR National Standard Race: A race in which skiers of all levels can compare their abilities against a national average.

O-P

Off-piste: Used to describe uncharted ski areas.

Piste: French for trail.

Poma: A surface lift straddled by skiers, with a platter to sit on. Often called a button lift, disc, or platter lift.

Powderhound: A person who insatiably seeks the best powder snow throughout the season.

R

Regular season: Dates vary in different regions, but regular-season lift prices are higher than low season’s and lower than during the holiday and high seasons. Often includes January and early April.

Rope tow: A moving rope that skiers grab to be towed up the mountain. Don’t let the rope run through your hands as it may ruin your gloves!

Runout: A long, flat run back to the lift.

Ruts: Tracks created by repetitive skiing that can make for treacherous ski conditions.

S

Schuss: To ski straight down the hill.

Shovel: The front of the ski.

Shredding: Slang for snowboarding.

Sideslip: A technique for descending a hill by sliding down sideways on ski edges; often used to control speed.

Sidestep: To climb a hill using sideways footing.

Skating: Pushing off with one ski and sliding with the other to move along a flat surface.

Ski brake: A required attachment for skis; it keeps skis from going downhill without you.

Skijoring: A smaller version of dog-sledding in which one dog pulls a skier.